The "voetstoots" clause, meaning "with a shove of the foot" (that the buyer takes the property in its present condition as it is), has often been used by sellers as a disclaimer to protect themselves against any claims from the buyer if a fault is found after signing the offer to purchase."

Electric fencing is a popular security solution in South Africa which, along with alarm systems and CCTV cameras, is used as a deterrent to would-be burglars. However, by nature it is potentially dangerous.

While it's standard practice for a property buyer to pay the purchase amount into the transferring attorney's trust account until the property is registered, the community of Khayelitsha prefers to pay the seller directly, conveyancing law firm Heyns and Partners said this week.

After his neighbour's wall collapsed onto his home a week ago, Ravindra Bikramchund said Kindlewood Estate management in Mount Edgecombe had ignored his complaints about the wall going up more than six months ago.